Buying a new fleet of rods and reels 2024

Fox408 reply :

Hello folks, naturally I'm looking for some advice.
I'm new here. I've been reading on the site for the past month or so trying to develop an opinion on which rods and reels I ought to pick up, and I finally decided to join.

Let me give a little backstory to help you all understand where I'm coming from.

I live in Kentucky, and have casually fished for the past 5 years or so. Nothing real serious, just with friends on and off. I've been using $50 rod/reel combos for some time and I've decided to step it up a little bit. I'd like to build my setups so as I get more into the sport.

I can likely be persauded to purchase however many number of rods is recommended. However, my current thought is purchasing 3-4.

I currently have a Shimano Nasci 2500 that that needs a rod. The local shop highly recommends G-Loomis, so I've been looking into getting an E6X to put my spinning reel on. I'm unsure of what power and action would be a decent setup for my spinning needs. I've been recommended an e6x MH/Fast. Sound good?

That will be my first purchase.

For my next 2-3 rods I plan to get bait casters. I'll start with one and work my way into a couple others. I know different powers and actions are recommended for different types of fishing, and I don't know which I ought to start out with.

I've been thinking I'll get another e6x bait casting rod, and match it with a Curado 200IHG (7.2:1) Once again, I'm not sure which power and action I ought to get first.

Short version: If you had to pick a total of 4 rods, 1 spinning, 3 bait casting, for bass fishing (realistcally a 2lb small mouth is the largest bass I've caught)

What lengths, powers/actions would be most recommended, and in which order would you recommend purchasing them?

My appologies if this is redundant. I've read a lot of forums recently, and haven't been able to make this decision.

Also, reel gearing suggestions would be very welcomed, as well is other rod brands if you have a recommendation over the Loomis.

Much thanks

Robert Riley reply :

What kind of lures do you use most often? If you're going to expand to casting setups, you may consider relegating that spinning setup to line line and finesse techniques. Also an important question is if you primarily fish from a boat or the shore?

Fox408 reply :

On 2/27/2017 at 9:21 AM, Robert Riley said:

What kind of lures do you use most often? If you're going to expand to casting setups, you may consider relegating that spinning setup to line line and finesse techniques. Also an important question is if you primarily fish from a boat or the shore?

Thanks for the reply!
Sorry, I should have included that information in my original post.
Historically I usually fish worms (fished a texas rig this evening)

That being said, I'm trying to dive into things this year and expand my knowledge/capabilities, so I'm planning to try a wide range of different lures. I've fished worms for quite some time because that's what I learned on so that's what I'm most comfortable with.

Primarily fishing from the bank, possibly fishing from a boat once or twice a month. Heavily considering purchasing a jonboat sometime this spring though.

TH-Outdoors reply :

Spinning:

6'9-7' Length Medium/X-Fast

Baitcasters:

7ft Medium Heavy/Fast

Heavy T-Rigs/Spinnerbaits/Lipless

6.4:1 Ratio

7ft Medium/Fast

Soft Plastics/Smaller Topwater

7.1:1 Ratio

3rd rod I'd go with a cranking or flipping rod/reel

For flipping I'd go with a high speed reel, cranking I'd go for a lower speed reel.

In my opinion I'd say to get a little bit less expensive rods/reels and get more than those 4 set ups. When you really start to get into fishing, you'll see the importance of having rods/reels for each kind of technique.

Keep each combo in the 250-300 range and you'll have a very nice fleet of rods and reels.

MittenMouth reply :

So I was in a very similar situation a year ago. I fished but not often then moved to a location where I could fish more and yada yada yada now fish tournaments a year later.

I went from an ok spinning set up and a silver max combo to a combination of 5 dobyns fury rods and Diawa Tatula/Ct/r reels along with my original setups. Add another few grand in tackle the last 12 months and here I am.

I didnt go high end by any means but I kept my average over $200 and under $300 for the rod and reel. The more I fished the more I understood why rods have specific uses, sure you can pull double duty but you really get the full experience when you do it right. My thought is I can upgrade from here as I get better but I have enough to keep me in the game at this point.

fishnkamp reply :

Fox408 First Welcome to Bass Resources.

There are a bunch of rod makers and probably just as many members who have their favorite ones. But you said you live in central KY. If so, you have several Dobyns rods and Powell rod dealers in your area. The G Loomis rods are okay, but there are better options in my opinion for their price. If you read any of my other postings I often say that I do not like to suggest beginner gear to anyone because you will end up upgrading and losing money by doing it. So try to refrain from the Abu Max and Berkley combos. I fish a couple of Berkley's, but these are not stepping up much from you current stuff. For me they fill a need. When I fish fall stripers I need 4 rods with different brand and weight rattle traps. I can not afford $1200 worth of crankbait rods! LOL As I said lets not buy cheap gear, but this does not mean you need to but expensive gear either. So here is a long winded answer to your call for assistance.

First, in Lexington KY there is a Sportsman Warehouse. I doubt is too far from you to make a trip to. They sell Dobyns and Powell Rods. Gary Dobyns makes really nice rods. He makes 5 lines of rods. One of these is called the Fury series. These rods sell for $110 each. Gary worked 2 years to develop these rods. He insisted they have a high quality blank and very good quality components. Most of all, is the attention to detail on these rods, it is exactly the same as his highest end rods. I have several friends changing over to these. Take the trip and put some of these rods in your hand. By the way I travel out to KY semi annually to fish Dale Hollow Lake, so I have a bit of knowledge of the waters you could be fishing. My wife and I love Dale Hollow and some other TN lakes as well.

Lets start with your spinning rod. The reel you have is a great one. Match it up with a Dobyns Fury FR 703SF. It will be a dynamite combo to use with Sencos, texas riggs up to 1/2 ounce, small jigs or tubes, grubs, all the finesse stuff. You can also drop shot with it for now, but maybe add a FR 702 SF to handle the lighter action baits later on. Make sure you add Sencos, shakey heads, Kalin 5 inch Lunker grubs and Ned Rigs to your arsenal of baits. All of these work out there.

Now for baitcasters start with a Fury FR 705CB. Again $110. It is one of Gary's best selling rods in all his series.

This 7 foot medium heavy moderately fast tipped rod will allow you to fish small to mid sized crankbaits, rattle traps, jerkbaits, square bills and even some spinnerbaits. This is a workhorse of a rod.

Next you want a bottom contact rod for bigger texas rigs, jigs, carolina rigs, larger spinnerbaits if you want to slow roll a big bladed spinnerbait in the winter, or even some topwater baits, then a Dobyns Fury FR 734C would be your do it all rod. This is a very versatile weapon.

Gary makes lots of great rods that fit many specific techniques and a situations. What I have done here is try to give you a group of rods that will allow you to fish the most techniques with the fewest rods. If you go this way, then in the future you could add rods to fit your specific fishing environment. Perhaps you would add a second spinning rod. It could be FR702SF or perhaps if you fish close quarter targets like boat houses and docks then maybe you step up to a Sierra SF 692 or 693, they are 6'9" rods in s more sensitive line called the Sierras. They run $169.

Make sure you add baits like the Reaction Innovation Skinny Dippers to your arsenal. I fish a lot of them when I fish out there. We usually rig them using on either belly weighted swimbait hooks or the special swimbait jig heads like the ones Picasso sells. They are a fish head shaped jig on a good strong hook. Also add some good jigs and swim jigs. There are tons of good trailers but when I am out there I like a sungill or shad sorta look with some type of brown, white or greenish grub or swimbait for a trailer. Man those big smallies like them.

Perhaps you later decide you want a rod better suited to throwing the smaller spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, small paddle tail swimbaits etc. If so then consider a Fury FR 703C or 733C.

You could decide you want a flipping pitching rod, then the FR 765 Flip works great, especially if you fish some river sections and have grass to deal with.

If you want a frog rod to fish over heavy grass their FR 735C is also good for frogs and flipping and pitching jigs.

I guess I forgot to mention I also like the Powells and their lineup is pretty similar. I wonder why? The answer is both of the owners of Dobyns and Powell are friends and have worked together for years.

Okay I hope this gives you a place to start. Let me know if I can answer anything else as you digest it. It may help to bring up the Dobyns rods website and read along with that up to refer to.

There are plenty of good reels to match them up with, Bass Pro has its Pro Qualifier on sale for $50, Diawa Tatula CTs are available online for $100 shipped. These are terrific reels. Also the Daiwa Excelers can be found online for $75 and again these reels are great. I fish some of all of these.

fishnkamp reply :

Hey MittenMouth where are you in KY? You said you are shore fishing. Is that creeks, rivers, ponds or lake shores? I ask because it changes what type of boat you might want. A 14 or 16 foot jon is a good place to start. If you are fishing ponds, then an electric trolling motor and a battery may be all you need. I started out that way, then I fished larger rivers and moved up from my original 12 foot jon to a 15 foot jon with two seats and a 9.9 outboard. Both of those rigs can be done rather cheaply. Just look at this craigslist.

https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/6005957718.html

This is a decent way to get off the bank.

MDbassin reply :

I had a hard time trying to get my rod arsenal down to 5 let alone 3-4. Other lines to look at other then the E6X are st.croix Mojo bass ($130) and the Dobyns fury line ($110).

I went with the fury line after hearing all the great things about Dobyns. But to be honest if it wasn't for this forum I would of never heard of them since there's no place close to me that sells them so I would of never seen or heard or looked for them and I would of went with the St.croix.

Dont get me wrong I love the decision I made to go with Dobyns. Good rods, Friendly customer service. Actually when I was trying to figure out which rods to get the owner of Dobyns actually helped me pick them out. Along with every time I had a question he was the one answering my question. Plus lifetime warranty and a no hassle replacement plan. If my Dobyns Champion ($250) breaks for whatever reason I send it to them with $70 and they send me a new one

fishnkamp reply :

MDbassin did you get out in this nice warm weather? The doc still won't let me. Soon I hope or he may have a basket case on his hands.

MDbassin reply :

On 2/27/2017 at 11:35 AM, fishnkamp said:

MDbassin did you get out in this nice warm weather? The doc still won't let me. Soon I hope or he may have a basket case on his hands.

I got out last weekend while it was nice but this weekend I had some work to do on the farm so I couldn't get out. It was hard to fight the itch yesterday. But my new rods will be in this week so hopefully weather permitting I can get out and next weekend

fishnkamp reply :

Its funny I have met two guys from the eastern shore on these boards. Both of you work on the farms. My friend Andy is located down near Seaford DE. If we get to take any vacation this year, we may sneak down and fish with him on the Nanticoke River. I would enjoy flipping some Lilly pads for a change. Do you ever get to fish the Susqy flats?

MDbassin reply :

Haha yea that's about all we have on the eastern shore is farms, fishing, hunting, and ocean city. No ive never fished there

fishnkamp reply :

Maybe I can change that this year. How long would it take you to get to Northeast MD. I guess you would come 213 to Elkton then down route 40 to 272.

MDbassin reply :

@Fox408 For starters a 7' Medium heavy Fast action rod would probably be your most versatile rod (Dobyns Fury 703c) I would start there for your bait caster.

For spinning I would go with a Medium light to Medium power fast action rod for weightless plastics, drop shot, shaky head.

Those 2 set ups will get you started and can in reality cover all aspects of fishing except for like 8" Huddleston swimbaits.

The whole ole point of technique specific rods is cause even tho those 2 set ups will work there are better tools for the job. You could use a flat head screwdriver for a Phillips head screw but there is another tool better for it.... You could use 9 iron golf club to putt the ball in but a putter will be more efficient.

Depending on how heavy of cover you fish doesn't matter if you've got a 1lber or 10lber on the other end if your trying to horse that fish out of thick weeds or pads your gonna want a Heavy power rod you would probably break a medium power rod trying to do this.

Then to round out your 4 rod arsenal I would get a crank bait rod. Not just for crank Baits but all treble hook lures. Medium to Medium Heavy power and Moderate to Moderate Fast action

@fishnkamp North east isn't to far of a drive for me I live in Galena and elkton is the next town north of me.... besides cecilton but I don't consider them a town cause if you blink you've driven past it

fishnkamp reply :

I figured it would be about an hour or less for you and just about the same for me. I will try to line that up. The North East River, Susqy River and the flats can be really special some days.

Poolshark reply :

Do you fish from a boat? I always advise people to spend time on the water so that the process of acquiring gear meets your individual needs. It's more fun that way.

A couple years back I badly damaged my rods in a freak accident. I bought a few setups to cover me until I could afford more specialized gear.

I now have many more combos but if I had to start again these would be my preference in this order.

7 ft mf spinning setup 2500 sized spinning reel

7 ft mh f casting setup high speed casting reel

7 to 7'6 composite rod. I like a mod fast so it can double top water, lipless cranks, squarebills and medium divers. I'd use a 6 ish ratio reel here. But that's my preference

Lastly - a 7'6 parobolic flipping rod. Spool it with 50/60 lb braid and use it for anything super heavy cover.

I prefer a high speed reel for this, but if you buy a low speed reel, you could get a couple extra spools and use this setup for deep diving cranks and some moderately sized swimbaits.

Are there more choices of rods out there? Sure. But If chosen carefully, these could cover most everything.

Btw... I like almost everything st Croix makes, especially the avid, mojo bass and LTB lines.

I own a few g loomis rods and Im about to get another, but I don't love the e6x for the price. Your call on that one. I am a fan of the mag bass tapers though.

For reel brands... Most of my casting reels are curados of all models, but there are other good ones out there as well. Preference....

Fox408 reply :

On 2/27/2017 at 9:30 AM, TH-Outdoors said:

Thanks for the response! How many rods/reels do you think you would recommend? I'm not limited to 4, just what I had in mind orginally.

On 2/27/2017 at 11:20 AM, fishnkamp said:

You said you are shore fishing. Is that creeks, rivers, ponds or lake shores? I ask because it changes what type of boat you might want.

I'm located in lexington. Most often ponds and creeks, but trying to move towards likes this year. I looked at that craigslist add, that looks a lot like something I'm looking for!

And now in regards to your first post.. Thank you for the warm welcome!

I really appreciate the way you laid out the dobyns lineup. Upon your recommendation I went to sportsmans warehouse to get my paws on the Fury rods today. I'll likely end up picking up the 703SF here in a few days nad slowly moving through the lineup. I'm not 100% sold on the fury, but it's looking promising. Only thing I didn't like is when I picked up the rod, it had the sticker in the handle "Made in China," always disappointing to me.

Next time I go to sportsmans I'm going to pickup the baits you recommended. Really looking forward to trying some new things.

On 2/27/2017 at 12:13 PM, MDbassin said:

Thank you for the knowledgable response!! Really interesting stuff.

On 2/28/2017 at 1:20 AM, Poolshark said:

Do you fish from a boat? I always advise people to spend time on the water so that the process of acquiring gear meets your individual needs. It's more fun that way.

Normally I fish from the bank, or wade if I'm creek fishing, however I'm trying to into some more boat fishing this year. I put my hands on an avid X today and really really liked it. So tough deciding what to get! Thanks for the response.

Wow, thank you all so much for the replies! This has helped tremendously.

Sorry I cut some of the quotes short simply because it would have been a very very lengthy read for all of you if you had to go through them all in my one reply.

Now I'm going to keep pushing my luck on the information train here.

Like I said, I was originally thinking of getting 1 spinning/3casting setups. I am however not limited to that. I can purchase however many I need to, that's just what I had in mind. I'll likely try to add a rod/reel combo every couple weeks or so. Within a few months I should have enough to do most fishing around here.

From this thread the Dobyns Fury lineup comes highly recommended. Is that the general consensus around here? While not wanting to spend money unnecessarily, I'm not terribly concerned with the cost. I've been fishing with inexpensive gear for so long that I've decided I want to buy quality and not have to worry about upgrading in the near future.

I can budget around $3-400 for each rod/reel combo. Naturally if there is a highly recommended combo less than that I certainly won't complain about saving money.

Right now it looks like I'll be buying:

7' MF rod for my Nasci 2500 reel (or maybe 7'(ish) M/XF depending on conclusion and rod brand. (dobyns fr703sf)

7' MH/F Casting Rod and pairing it with a (likely) Curado 6.3:1

7' MH/MF unsure of gearing for reel on said rod. (dobyns 705CB)

7'3" H/F once again, unsure of reel gearing, (dobyns FR734c)

^^If any of that seems out of wack, please correct me. I love to learn.

I've referenced the dobyns because they're suggested in this thread. I'm not opposed to other brands. Really interested to hear the popular vote, etc..

I handled the Dobyns today and liked them. I also got my hands on an Avid X and really liked it as well. I understand there's a fairly significant price difference in the rods. If it's worth it, I'm willing to pay it, if it's negligable, I'm willing to save money.

Thanks everyone!

Poolshark reply :

As to how many is reccomended? I'd say 3 rods for the average shore angler can cover most things. There is a great thread on this pinned on this board. My sweet spot is 5 or 6 setups with me out on a boat. Two or three from shore.

This really depends on the body of water and technique you want to use.

Btw, we can help!!! Start with what you plan on above and build it from there based on what techniques you end up taking to. Keep it fun and enjoy it most of all

MDbassin reply :

On 2/28/2017 at 4:35 AM, Fox408 said:

Thanks for the response! How many rods/reels do you think you would recommend? I'm not limited to 4, just what I had in mind orginally.

I'm located in lexington. Most often ponds and creeks, but trying to move towards likes this year. I looked at that craigslist add, that looks a lot like something I'm looking for!

And now in regards to your first post.. Thank you for the warm welcome!

I really appreciate the way you laid out the dobyns lineup. Upon your recommendation I went to sportsmans warehouse to get my paws on the Fury rods today. I'll likely end up picking up the 703SF here in a few days nad slowly moving through the lineup. I'm not 100% sold on the fury, but it's looking promising. Only thing I didn't like is when I picked up the rod, it had the sticker in the handle "Made in China," always disappointing to me.

Next time I go to sportsmans I'm going to pickup the baits you recommended. Really looking forward to trying some new things.

Wow, thank you all so much for the replies! This has helped tremendously.

Sorry I cut some of the quotes short simply because it would have been a very very lengthy read for all of you if you had to go through them all in my one reply.

Now I'm going to keep pushing my luck on the information train here.

Like I said, I was originally thinking of getting 1 spinning/3casting setups. I am however not limited to that. I can purchase however many I need to, that's just what I had in mind. I'll likely try to add a rod/reel combo every couple weeks or so. Within a few months I should have enough to do most fishing around here.

From this thread the Dobyns Fury lineup comes highly recommended. Is that the general consensus around here? While not wanting to spend money unnecessarily, I'm not terribly concerned with the cost. I've been fishing with inexpensive gear for so long that I've decided I want to buy quality and not have to worry about upgrading in the near future.

I can budget around $3-400 for each rod/reel combo. Naturally if there is a highly recommended combo less than that I certainly won't complain about saving money.

Right now it looks like I'll be buying:

7' MF rod for my Nasci 2500 reel (or maybe 7'(ish) M/XF depending on conclusion and rod brand. (dobyns fr703sf)

7' MH/F Casting Rod and pairing it with a (likely) Curado 6.3:1

7' MH/MF unsure of gearing for reel on said rod. (dobyns 705CB)

7'3" H/F once again, unsure of reel gearing, (dobyns FR734c)

^^If any of that seems out of wack, please correct me. I love to learn.

I've referenced the dobyns because they're suggested in this thread. I'm not opposed to other brands. Really interested to hear the popular vote, etc..

I handled the Dobyns today and liked them. I also got my hands on an Avid X and really liked it as well. I understand there's a fairly significant price difference in the rods. If it's worth it, I'm willing to pay it, if it's negligable, I'm willing to save money.

Thanks everyone!

That line up looks really solid. The gearing on the reels don't get hung up on it. I did for a while and all it did was give me headaches. You will read some places that for cranks you should get a 5 speed reel and for flipping you should get a 7 or 8 speed reel.

I my self have all 7 speed reels even on my crankbait rod if I need to slow down I just force myself to reel slower. If you don't think you can slow yourself down then I would say get 6 speed reels it's a good all around speed and it's easier to slow down then a 7 speed.

That being said there are times you could use the extra speed like burning spinnerbaits or lipless cranks over beds you can speed up a 6 speed but your gonna wear your arm out trying to reel that fast.

As I always say rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.

fishnkamp reply :

Do not worry about where Gary has his rods assembled. He is meticulous and if he had the same rod built here the Fury rod would cost over $250. He has said that to me personally. Every rod he has built over there is designed and built to his specs. As for reel speeds. Forget reels that are geared in the 5s ie. 5.1-1, 5.3-1. These are used specifically for deep cranking , it is a specialized technique. I have fished for 40 years + and only use crankbaits that dive deeper than 20 occasionally. They work, but do not fall in the average fisherman's tool kit. I fish with 15 baitcasters and 4 spinning combos. Of those baitcasters most are 6.3-1 reels. They fit my needs well. I could easily use all 7.1 or 7.3 reels and not see much difference. For pitching. flipping and throwing frogs, I like a fast reel to retrieve the lure back quickly and fire back out my next cast. I use an 8-1 reel for this purpose.

As for rods I suggested the Dobyns Fury lineup because Gary sells a rod for $110 that is equal to many rods costing double. He is no magician. He keeps the cost down by building them over seas. Anyway, he did cut some cost in obvious ways. The reel seat chosen is a good quality Fuji seat, but not the higher end ones like he uses on his more expensive rods. He chose a split handle- half cork ( where you will feel the quality of that cork) and a rear part made of a type of eva. This saves money without affecting the fishability of the rod.

By no means did I mean to suggest a Sierra or Champion rod was a mistake. Gary made his reputation by offering high quality rods in the Champion DC and HP Extreme lines. My new frog rod is a Champion DC 705C. It is an amazing rod in your hand. I have fished with 3 St Croix rods. They fished well but I have upgraded from them. I just did not have any access to a Dobyns to get one in my hand. That changed when a local shop opened near me. He carries a bunch of rod manufacturer's products. Most of his brands are not available in places like Bass Pro.

If you want to compare a rod with equal components to the Avid X look at the both the Sierra and Champion XP series DC 683 SF and 703 SF rods. If you notice the prices are between $160 and $250 on those rods, depending on the series.

I would agree to start with the spinning rod. Then I would add the crankbait rod. It could be a Fury or Champion DX series 705CB graphite. They have a glass series of crankbait rods, but I would suggest you stick with the graphite crankbait rods. I think in your 3 top 5 rod arsenal they will be more versatile. Your third rod should be a good bottom contact rod like the 734C in one of those 3 series as well.

As for brands I have been moving away from Shimano and Bass Pro models and towards Diawa Tatula 100 and Tatula CT reels. These fit my style and perform extremely well for me. I can get a Tatula CT shipped for $100, so I think it offers me a terrific value. Put one on a rod and see how it feels to you. Some guys love them, and some like reels that are smaller. As for reel ratios. i would put a 6.3-1 reel on my 7 foot crankbait rod (the 705cb) and a 7.3-1 on the 734C bottom contact rod.

RMax reply :

To offer a shorter version with my 2 cents...

Medium Rod for Spinning

Stouter Medium Rod for Bottom Contact: 7.1:1

Medium-Heavy Rod for Moving Baits- 6.3:1

Heavy Rod for Frogs, Swimbaits, and other heavy applications- 7.1:1

Fox408 reply :

On 2/28/2017 at 10:56 AM, fishnkamp said:

Do not worry about where Gary has his rods assembled. He is meticulous and if he had the same rod built here the Fury rod would cost over $250. He has said that to me personally. Every rod he has built over there is designed and built to his specs. As for reel speeds. Forget reels that are geared in the 5s ie. 5.1-1, 5.3-1. These are used specifically for deep cranking , it is a specialized technique. I have fished for 40 years + and only use crankbaits that dive deeper than 20 occasionally. They work, but do not fall in the average fisherman's tool kit. I fish with 15 baitcasters and 4 spinning combos. Of those baitcasters most are 6.3-1 reels. They fit my needs well. I could easily use all 7.1 or 7.3 reels and not see much difference. For pitching. flipping and throwing frogs, I like a fast reel to retrieve the lure back quickly and fire back out my next cast. I use an 8-1 reel for this purpose.

As for rods I suggested the Dobyns Fury lineup because Gary sells a rod for $110 that is equal to many rods costing double. He is no magician. He keeps the cost down by building them over seas. Anyway, he did cut some cost in obvious ways. The reel seat chosen is a good quality Fuji seat, but not the higher end ones like he uses on his more expensive rods. He chose a split handle- half cork ( where you will feel the quality of that cork) and a rear part made of a type of eva. This saves money without affecting the fishability of the rod.

By no means did I mean to suggest a Sierra or Champion rod was a mistake. Gary made his reputation by offering high quality rods in the Champion DC and HP Extreme lines. My new frog rod is a Champion DC 705C. It is an amazing rod in your hand. I have fished with 3 St Croix rods. They fished well but I have upgraded from them. I just did not have any access to a Dobyns to get one in my hand. That changed when a local shop opened near me. He carries a bunch of rod manufacturer's products. Most of his brands are not available in places like Bass Pro.

If you want to compare a rod with equal components to the Avid X look at the both the Sierra and Champion XP series DC 683 SF and 703 SF rods. If you notice the prices are between $160 and $250 on those rods, depending on the series.

I would agree to start with the spinning rod. Then I would add the crankbait rod. It could be a Fury or Champion DX series 705CB graphite. They have a glass series of crankbait rods, but I would suggest you stick with the graphite crankbait rods. I think in your 3 top 5 rod arsenal they will be more versatile. Your third rod should be a good bottom contact rod like the 734C in one of those 3 series as well.

As for brands I have been moving away from Shimano and Bass Pro models and towards Diawa Tatula 100 and Tatula CT reels. These fit my style and perform extremely well for me. I can get a Tatula CT shipped for $100, so I think it offers me a terrific value. Put one on a rod and see how it feels to you. Some guys love them, and some like reels that are smaller. As for reel ratios. i would put a 6.3-1 reel on my 7 foot crankbait rod (the 705cb) and a 7.3-1 on the 734C bottom contact rod.

Once again, thanks for the information Fishnkamp.

What do you think about the quality difference between the fury and the sierra, or champion? The Seirra isn't priced that much higher than the fury. Unfortunately the local sportsmans warehouse only stocks the fury, so that's all I can get my hands on locally.

I've been thinking this morning about making decisions with the rods and reels. I've been considering buying all of them from the dobyns/fury lineup, but now I'm wondering if maybe I should switch up brands and buy several different makes/models to see what I like? Perhaps a fury, a sierra or savy, perhaps a g-loomis.

Probably a silly quiestion, just didn't know if that was something that people do or not. I'm a little of afraid of putting all my eggs in one basket with 4+ fury rods and then wishing I had tried some others as well.

RMax, thanks for your response above!

Darren. reply :

@Fox408, you seem to have plenty of info above, so

I won't add to the discussion other than to welcome

you to the forums!

The Fisher reply :

On 2/27/2017 at 9:30 AM, TH-Outdoors said:

Spinning:

6'9-7' Length Medium/X-Fast

Baitcasters:

7ft Medium Heavy/Fast

Heavy T-Rigs/Spinnerbaits/Lipless

6.4:1 Ratio

7ft Medium/Fast

Soft Plastics/Smaller Topwater

7.1:1 Ratio

3rd rod I'd go with a cranking or flipping rod/reel

For flipping I'd go with a high speed reel, cranking I'd go for a lower speed reel.

In my opinion I'd say to get a little bit less expensive rods/reels and get more than those 4 set ups. When you really start to get into fishing, you'll see the importance of having rods/reels for each kind of technique.

Keep each combo in the 250-300 range and you'll have a very nice fleet of rods and reels.

This ^

Fox408 reply :

On 3/1/2017 at 12:57 AM, Darren. said:

@Fox408, you seem to have plenty of info above, so

I won't add to the discussion other than to welcome

you to the forums!

Thanks for the welcome! I've been astounded by the info I've recieved so far!

On 3/1/2017 at 12:59 AM, The Fisher said:

This ^

I'm leaning in the direction of some of the less expensive rods. I think I'm going to pick up a fury for my spinning rod.

Tiny bit of conflicting info though, and I'm not sure how important it is. I see the recommendation for the medium X-fast rod for my spinning rod. However, there isn't a medium x-fast rod in the fury lineup. The FR703SF is a 7’ Medium / Fast Actio.

new2BC4bass reply :

On 3/1/2017 at 12:57 AM, Darren. said:

@Fox408, you seem to have plenty of info above, so

I won't add to the discussion other than to welcome

you to the forums!

fishnkamp reply :

Different manufacturers use different names. makes no difference.

Fox408 reply :

On 3/1/2017 at 3:29 AM, fishnkamp said:

Different manufacturers use different names. makes no difference.

Makes sense.

So the 703sf will be fine for finesse type duty?

If so I'll go ahead and pull the trigger on one this afternoon.

**********EDIT: I re-read your original post on page 1. Sorry there's been so much to read that I nearly forgot what you originally said. I think I'll go ahead and order the FR703SF.

Thanks

38 Super Fan reply :

Welcome aboard! Sounds like you've already gotten plenty of good advice on rods and reels. If you get that boat and decide to go down to Wood Creek or Laurel Lake, I could give you a few hints, I know those two pretty well.

The Fisher reply :

On 3/1/2017 at 1:12 AM, Fox408 said:

Thanks for the welcome! I've been astounded by the info I've recieved so far!

I'm leaning in the direction of some of the less expensive rods. I think I'm going to pick up a fury for my spinning rod.

Tiny bit of conflicting info though, and I'm not sure how important it is. I see the recommendation for the medium X-fast rod for my spinning rod. However, there isn't a medium x-fast rod in the fury lineup. The FR703SF is a 7’ Medium / Fast Actio.

The FR702SF is their finesse rod, but it seems whippy to me. IMHO the

703 is the way to go. It will do finesse well and will give you some versatility with things like senkos and light Jigs

Fox408 reply :

Ordered the fr703sf last night. Looking forward to taking it out soon.

MDbassin reply :

On 3/2/2017 at 12:12 AM, Fox408 said:

Ordered the fr703sf last night. Looking forward to taking it out soon.

Let us know how you like it

Fox408 reply :

On 3/2/2017 at 6:22 AM, MDbassin said:

Let us know how you like it

Will do!

I considered starting another thread with this question, but I'll go ahead and just ask in here.

For my "finesse" spinning setup, any line recommendations? I've been seeing a lot of people recommend braid with a fluoro leader. I've never fished with braid before. Everything I've ever used has been mono.

fishnkamp reply :

The combo I like (your mileage may vary) is Berkley Original Fused FireLine in 14 pound test. I fill my reel half way with quality mono like Stren Clear blue in 14 pound test.. Then add my braid. I use P Line CXX moss green in 8 to 10 pound test. The 10 pound line breaks at 23 pounds. The 8 pound is plenty for me most of the time. By having half the spool of mono I use less braids (saves money) and since I have had fish run over half my line out, I know I am fishing with a quality line as backing. As for the leader I use about 4 foot most of the time. Learn the double uni knot it is strong and easy to tie.

MDbassin reply :

I use braid for everything anymore. If I get to where I'm fishing and it's clearer I'll tie on a leader. This year is actually the first year I'm trying a leader.

I usually just use straight braid but this year I am going to try a leader. I use to be a mono guy but a couple years ago while I was living in NC I started using braid and quickly switched every reel I had to it. Even spinning

Fox408 reply :

Thanks for the advice everyone! Took my fr703sf out for the second time today and I'm loving it!

now for another question.

I was fishing a weightless senko on it and it was perfect. I picked up one of my other rods and threw a chatterbait on it and immediately was disappointed in the feel vs my dobyns.

I'd like to get a bait caster to throw spinners and chatterbaits and such. Looks like a lot of people recommend the 703c and the fr705cb

one is medium heavy mod fast, the other medium heavy, fast.

Honestly not sure how big the difference is. Opinions?

Angry John reply :

If your getting your first dobyns casting rod i would recommend a 4 power like the dx 744. The champion 734 is also very nice. I got a 3 power and later had to get the 4 power as a good all round rod.

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